The Byron Chronicles Season 2 : ‘Starlight Dreams’

It’s almost Autumn, and that means… NEW SHOWS! And I don’t mean new shows in the television department: I’m talking about Darker Projects. Of course.

The first of Fall 2009’s run of new material is a ‘teaser’ of sorts for one of Darker Project’s best shows: The Byron Chronicles.

Before we get to the review, though, here’s a brief synopsis of ‘The Byron Chronicles’ for those of you who are lucky enough to be hearing it for the first time:

Set primarily in the city of Portland, Oregon, The Byron Chronicles is the story of a mysterious immortal called Byron who, despite his apparent apathy towards human affairs, continuously finds himself caught up in all sorts of problems as he works towards an unknown objective of his own. This imaginative series by Darker Projects creator Eric Busby feels like a mix of Constantine, Angel, Doctor Who, and Supernatural, and manages to combine drama, humor, horror, and old-fashioned science fiction goodness into something completely original.

Bigger isn’t necessarily better: This episode manages to almost but not quite answer a few of the show’s biggest questions, introduce an important plot point to be developed in the rest of the season, re-introduce a major antagonist, and remind us all of why we liked the show in the first place…and it does it all in 11.5 minutes. That’s about half the length of a normal episode, by the way. Oh, and did I mention that two new characters make their debuts? (Or is it three?) 99% of the plot may be set in a dream (something that often fails on TV, let alone in audio drama) but Starlight Dreams is delivered with trademark wit, a few ‘popcorn scares’, and the great writing we’ve come to expect from the talented people at DP.

I can’t say anything else without giving it all away, so just go and listen to The Byron Chronicles: Starlight Dreams and see for yourself!